Gun-mount.



No. 691,912. Patented Jan. 28, 1902 s. N. McCLEAN.

GUN MOUNT.

(Application filed May 15, 1900.]

(No Model.)

45 end. This gun-rest 3 is p'referablyin the form UNITED- "STATES PATENT GEFF CE- SAMUEL N. MGCLEAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

GUN-MOUNT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,912, dated January 28,1902.

Application filed May 15, 1900.

To all whom it mag/"concern! Be it known that I, SAMUEL N. .MOCLEAN, a residentof Cleveland, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gun-Mounts, which invention is fullyset forth in the fol-v lowing specification.

My invention-relates to gun-mounts, and

more particularly to that class of gun-mounts designed for use with machine-guns or to sup.-

port and steadyordinary firearmswhen the same are being discharged.

' vThe object'of the invention is to provide a mount of the character described which shall afford a firm and steady support for the gun and which shall be of light weight and so constructed that it can be readily folded in compact form for transportation.

With-this object in view the invention consists of a tripod formed of a hollow tubular efficiently braced when opened and snugl'" re- Y tained in compact condition when folded.

Various mechanical "expressions may be given to the inventive idea involved, and for the purpose of illustration I have sho'wnsome of these in the accompanying drawings, .in

which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of tripod constructed according to my invention with a gun in firing position thereon. Fig.

- 2 is a vertical longitudinal section with a different form of flexible bracing, andv Fig. 3 is a perspective'vi ew of avfurther modification with parts broken away.

Referring to the drawings, 1 isa tubular section having a foot or rest 2 at its lower..end, and the gun-rest 3, pivoted at 4 to turn in a substantially horizontal plane, on its upper of'a fork, whose. arms 5 Shave suitable trunnion-bearings 6 ti formed therein, said bearings being in the form of slots open at the top, as shown, and provided'with catches 7 7 for engaging and retaining the trunnions in place in the bearings. The two substantially simi- Serial it. 16,792. (No model.)

lar legs 8 9 are each jointed to the tubular backbone-section l in such a manner that when opened their feet 10 11 willbe sufficiently separated to afford a broad base for the tripod. Any suitable joint may be employed for this purpose, the one here shown being'formed by placing a short tubular sec-' tion 12 aroundthe backbone 1 of the tripod, a suitable distance below the forked end thereof, and pivoting the legs 8 9 to ears 13 and 14, projecting from said tubular section ency serves'to retain the wire or cord 15 under tension as the tripod is opened and preferabl y also-when the tripod is closed, whereby the legs of thetripod are braced and steadied when opened and held folded against the backbone of the tripod when closed. The spring may be variously formed and located, and I have for convenience in illustrating the invention shown the same in the form of a coiled spring located in some portion of the tubular frame ofthe tripod,(here shown as in the tubular backbone 1.) As shown in Fig. 2, one end of the wire or cord 15 is secured to a piston 16 within the tubular backbone 1 and extends upward through a perforation in a second piston 17 and 'around a pulley 18 within the up- I per end of the tube 1, thence outward through a perforation in said tube 1, then downward and through a perforation in leg 8, across to and through leg 9, asin Fig. 1, thence around pulley 19 in foot 2,u pward through the perforation in piston 16 to the lower end of piston 17,to

which it is also connected. Betweenthe pistons 16 and 17 is placed a coiled spring 20, while each piston 16 and 17 is provided with a peripheral annular groove, which when the tripod is extended is engaged by suitable catches 21 2-2. When the tripod is extended, the pistons 16 17 are drawn toward each other and'the spring 20 thereby compressed until the annular grooves in the pistons 16 17 are engaged by the catches 21 22. When it is desired to fold the tripod, one or both of the catches 2 1 22 may be disengaged from the pistons 16 17 and the expansion of the spring 20 wi1l serve te'dra'w the wire or cord with: in the tnbof'l and fold the legs 8 9 snugly alongside the said tube. These pistons 16 17 may have their movement limited within the tube by suitably-placed stops. It will be apparent that many variations of this method ofarranging and connecting the wire or cord 1 the spring may be resorted to without departing from the principle of my invention. Thus oneend'of the wire or cord may be secured, as at 23, to the leg 2 and extend to a point between the legs 8 and 9, where it enters the tube-1, and is then conducted around pulley 18, through legs 8 and 9, and around pulley19, as in Fig. 2, and connected to pisten 17, the lower end of the spring in this case reacting against any suitable abutment. A still further modification is shown in Fig. 3, wherein the wire or cord is passed through legs 8 and 9 and both ends then passed around pulley 19 and then attached to piston 16, which is in this instance shown as secured to the spring, so as to expand it upon opening the tripod, though obviously the piston might be placed above the spring, so as to compress rather than expand it when the tripod is opened.

For the convenience of the gunner a saddle 24 isattached to the backbone 1, and, if desired, the saddle-post may be arranged so as to bear upon the wire or cord 15, as shown in-Fig. 1, thereby affording means for additional tension on the wire or cord when the gunner is seated in the saddle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a gun-mount,.the combination of a rod having one end resting on the ground and the other end provided with swiveled trunnion-bearings, diverging legs jointed to said rod between its ends, aspring supported by said rod, and a flexible connection between said spring and legs. v

2. In a gun-mount, the combination of a tripod whose three legs are jointed together, a swiveled gun-support on the prolonged end of one of said legs, and a tension device tending to hold said legs folded together.

3. In a gun-mount, the combination of a tripod whose legs are jointed to each other, a swiveled gun rest or seat on the prolonged end of one of said legs, a spring supported by one of said legs and a flexible connection between said spring and the other legs.

4:. In a gun-mount, the combination of a tripod whose legs are jointed to each other, a gun rest or seat on the polonged upper end of one of said legs, a spring within one of the legs, a flexible connection between the spring the spring is to fold the legs of the tripod together, and means locking the spring against action wlfen the tripod is extended.

5. In a gun-mount, the combination of a tripod whose legs are jointed together, a gun rest or seat supported by said tripod, a spring .within one of the legs of the tripod and bearing against'an abutment, a piston also bearing against said spring, anda Wire or cord attached to said spring and extending therefrom tothe other two legs of the tripod.

' In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL N. MGGLEAN.

' Witnesses:

'S. T. CAMERON,

WM. B. KERKAM.

and the other legs whereby the tendency of 

